Student Center

Designing the “Living Room of the University”

003684 00 N38 Cdwebsite — Replacing a building that stood proudly as a bastion of the school’s history for more than 50 years, North Carolina A&T’s new Student Center preserves and enhances the lively campus energy of the nation’s top public historically Black university.

Client: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
Size: 195,000 square feet
Status: Completed 2018

The new Student Center, designed by Vines Architecture in association with CannonDesign, was thoughtfully curated to capture elements central to the school’s unique student experience. With a wide selection of gathering areas, lounges and meeting rooms, the stunning building allows students to engage in ways most comfortable to them. Shared spaces for learning and socializing elevate the building’s functionality and comfort, and ultimately, preserves the sense of school spirit students and alumni expect.

The building’s internal planning and design focus on a gold ribbon walkway that threads from the main entrance to the third floor, comprising floor space and stairs that connect the building’s many amenities.

North Carolina Agricultural And Technical State Universitys New Student Union — The building’s internal planning and design focus on a gold ribbon walkway that threads from the main entrance to the third floor, comprising floor space and stairs that connect the building’s many amenities.

The new Student Center was designed to be a gem on campus and has truly become the heart and soul of NC A&T, welcoming all and positioning the campus on a trajectory for growth and continued success.

The signature design features a floor-to-ceiling curtain wall that provides vast views overlooking the Student Center Plaza and Mitchell Drive—where students gather frequently for marching band performances and special events—creating a nearly transparent boundary between activities happening inside and outside of the building.

To ensure the building captured elements central to the student experience, the planning team heavily relied on students themselves to inspire the design process. Our design team completed student workshops and engagement sessions on campus, including focus groups and interactive imageboard sessions that collected anecdotes of on-campus traditions and student initiatives.

Our sessions were both formal and informal, and yielded fresh perspectives, especially as our team spoke to students walking on campus between classes. The mission was to honor and enhance the students’ feelings of connection to the campus hub by catering to various learning and social styles, enhancing Aggie pride.